The first mention of Versailles appeared in 1038 in the deeds of the Saint-Pere Abbey at Chartres. Hugo de Versailliis is one of the signatories. The foundation of the parish devoted to Saint-Julien dated back to this time. The Lords of Versailles were subject to the direct authority of the King. Their modest castle dominating the church and the village stood on the

southernmost slope of the mound where the future castle will be built. The Lord of Soisy will rebuild the castle after the Hundred Years war. It consisted of a main building and a wing in return, preceded by a gateway of two turrets.

In 1561, the property belonged to Martial de Lomenie, Charles IX's Finance Minister who increased the domain to 150 hectares. He was assassinated on the night of Saint Bartholomew on 24 August 1572. Albert de Gondi purchased the estate for 35.000 pounds. Native of Florence, he came to France in the suite of Catherine de Medicis. He was soon named Duc de Retz and Marechal de France and received in Versailles the visit of Henri III and his brother-in-law, the Roi de Navarre. The future Henri IV spent time in Versailles from the 7 to 9 July 1549, one month before he became the K

The King decided to enlarge the castle become too exiguous. He entrusted to Le Vau the design of new plans. Le Vau suggested several different projects with contradictory solutions.

ing of France. His passion for hunting, which would be shared by his descendants, was to determine the destiny of Versailles. The young Dauphin sometimes accompanied the King.

A first one required the former castle to be pulled down and replace by a palace in the Italian style. The second project suggested enveloping the castle on the garden side by a taller stone building. Counseled by Colbert, the King adopted the second solution in 1668. The King's State Apartment, at the north, and the Queen's State Apartment, at the south, are symmetrically placed on both side the old castle. In the middle a large terrace overlooking the gardens. The stone and brick castle, temporarily preserved, was further embellished. The facades were decorated with columns of marble of Rance, gild wrought-iron balconies, busts placed on balustrades. Ornaments decorated the roofs and the court was paved with flagstones of marble. The outbuildings were built and connected to the primitive castle to form the Royal Court encloses by gilt railings.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Louis XIII, Queen's Apartment, Royal Court, Le Nôtre, Le Vau, Louis XIV, King Queen, Archbishop Paris, Le Brun, Lord Soisy, le nôtre, le vau, louis xiii, palace italian style, louis xiv, de gondi, king decided, le brun, palace italian, stone building, project carried,
Approximate Word count = 1012
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)